Wizards and Wasabi Warriors
by Lodylodylody
Summary: A WOWP and "Kickin' It" crossover. Alex and Harper go to California to do a simple favor for Justin. So how does this lead them to become the newest students at Rudy's dojo? Oh, and did I mention everyone is in mortal danger from an ancient evil that intends to devour their souls?
1. Chapter 1

_**author's note:** regarding the time this story takes place, picture late season three of **Kickin' It** , obviously before Kim went off to Japan. By this time, the **Wizards Return: Alex versus Alex** special has also taken place. Of course, events of this story will diverge from the 'canon' of later **Kickin' It** episodes, but hopefully you'll enjoy it.  
_

 _******'******_

"Ah, this is much better," Alex said as she stepped out of the door and into the California sunshine.

"Much better," Harper agreed as she followed Alex and closed the door behind them, causing the magically created Wizard-Door to vanish. A moment ago they'd been home in New York on a particularly cold and rainy day. The change in scenery was a definite improvement.

"Hey, we're already at a strip mall," Alex observed happily. "Talk about convenient. We can start shopping as soon as I take care of that dumb amulet."

While Harper was all for shopping, it was why she'd come along after all, she was also a little concerned about the other reason for this little trip.

"Are you sure it's going to be so easy?" she asked Alex. "When Justin asked you to do this, he made it sound like it was a big deal."

The beautiful brunette let out laugh. "He makes everything sound like a big deal. Now that's he's on the Wizard's Council he's 'Mister Dramatic' all the time."

Harper had to admit that her friend had a point there. Alex's older brother had long had a tendency to act serious and mature beyond his years...and this trait had only magnified since he'd moved to the other-dimensional 'Wizard World' and become Headmaster of the Wizard Training Academy, as well as the youngest ever member of the Wizard's Council.

"Besides," Alex continued. "If this were really such a dangerous mission, why would Justin ask me? This has got to be a cakewalk."

"I don't know," the pretty redhead replied. "You and Justin may still put each other down like when you were kids...but you both know it's all for show."

Alex tried to come up with a clever comeback, but couldn't think of anything convincing. Harper knew her, and Justin, far too well. For all their putdowns and insults, the truth was that Alex knew she could always count on her brother...just as she would always be there for him whenever he needed help.

And in this particular instance, he did need help.

"Okay," she admitted. "The amulet is important, but it's still easy to take care of." She paused and looked Harper in the eyes. "Do you really think I'd bring you into anything dangerous?"

"You saying I can't handle myself?" the redhead asked with mock indignation. "Just because I'm not a wizard doesn't mean I'm someone to mess with." She followed the statement up with some exaggerated hand gestures to indicate her 'toughness'...which caused Alex to crack up.

"Please...don't go 'gangsta' on me," she pleaded.

"Just keepin' it real, yo!" Harper responded before slipping back into her normal tone of voice. "But tell me more of what's really going on with this amulet thing."

Alex sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep anything from her perceptive friend. "Here's the whole truth. There's this small group of evil wizards who are trying to take over the Wizard World. They've been gathering artifacts to let them control demons, evil spirits, dark angels...anything nasty and powerful. But their plans were discovered and special Wizard Agents have been hunting them down. They've caught most of them and have most of the artifacts locked up."

"This amulet is one of the artifacts then?" Harper guessed.

"Right. It's a prison for an ancient evil spirit called...Molok...Molac...something like that. The good news is none of the evil wizards still on the loose can get to Earth to grab it. But the bad news is that all the Wizard Agents are too busy chasing them around different dimensions to come pick it up. So...I got drafted."

"Ancient evil spirit?" There was a note of alarm in Harper's voice. "That sounds dangerous to me."

"Only dangerous if it's free," Alex reassured her. "The amulet is a prison, remember. It needs some powerful magic to open it up. So nothing to worry about. We grab it. I zap it off to Justin...then we shop."

"Why is the amulet at a strip mall though?"

Alex shrugged. "I have no idea. Justin only knew it was somewhere in this area. But it doesn't matter. Now that we're here I'm close enough to cast a locator spell. So..."

Alex pulled out her wand and made a few quick waves. An instant later a small light that only she could see began winding its way through the mall.

"Follow me," she told Harper as she took off after the light.

******'******

"Alright, enough sparring," Rudy called out to his students. "Everyone face front and let's go through some katas."

The four teens in the _**Bobby Wasabi Martial Arts Academy**_ followed their sensei's instructions and began performing the formalized movements that were a basic part of their training. As they did so, Rudy walked around and observed them, offering pointers and praise.

"Extend the arm a little more, Milton. Good."

"Nice form, Jerry. Keep at it."

"Flawless, Kim. Excellent."

"Jack, you're-"

But whatever he was going to tell Jack was halted when Rudy froze in mid-sentence. He would have looked an odd sight to his students, except for the fact that they too were frozen at the same moment...all standing still as statues and unable to see or hear anything.

Thus they were unaware when Alex and Harper walked into thier dojo, which was just how Alex wanted it.

"So the amulet is somewhere in here," the wizard told Harper. "We just need to grab it, go back outside and I'll unfreeze these guys."

"Well, none of them are wearing any amulets," Harper said as she observed each of the frozen martial artists. She paused while observing the tallest of the males. A handsome fellow with shoulder-length brown hair. "Although maybe I should strip search this one."

"What are you-" Alex began until she turned her gaze to the young man. "Ooh...hello."

"Hey, I saw him first," said Harper.

"Well, you have a boyfriend already."

"So do you."

The two young women laughed.

"Well, we should forget about this guy then and get back to finding the amulet. Besides, it's for the best," Alex said as she too one more admiring glance at the man. "I'd never date a guy with prettier hair than me."

"Oh, I don't know if it's prettier," Harper offered.

"Aw...thank you," Alex replied with a smile. Then they resumed their search, splitting up so that Alex could begin at one end of the dojo and Harper at the other.

Harper found no sign of any amulet, but did become distracted for a bit when she came to a number of newspaper articles framed and hanging on a section of the wall. There were pictures and mentions of all five of the frozen martial artists...though the majority of them seemed focused on the tall handsome guy and the short fellow who was apparently the sensei of this dojo. There were also a fair amount focused on the sole female student in the group.

Out of curiosity, Harper looked back and forth between the frozen folk and the articles to identify each individual. The two males who weren't mentioned as often were both yellow belts...a tall, very thin redhead named Milton Krupnick and a swarthy dark-haired guy named Jerry Martinez. The lovely blonde girl was named Kim Crawford, and one article noted that though she was only sixteen years of age, she was the top ranked female black belt in the entire state of California.

Equally impressive were the credentials of the short sensei, Rudy Gillespie. He'd been a highly ranked black belt as a child and teen...though his name then disappeared from the rankings for well over a decade, only to recently reappear in the past three years as a top ranked adult competitor, while also receiving many accolades for his work with local youth.

But it was reading up on the final individual, the handsome guy with the great hair, that gave Harper a shock. Jack Brewer, was the highest ranked black belt in his age category in California.

It was just that that age category itself was not what Harper expected.

"Alex," she called out. "You won't believe this."

"What? Did you find the amulet?" the wizard asked as she came to her friend's side.

"No...but that guy," she pointed towards the man in question. "His name is Jack."

"Um...okay," Alex replied. "But I thought we already had the boyfriend discussion?"

"No, I don't want to date him," Harper explained. "And it's a good thing too. He's only sixteen!"

The wizard gave her a disbelieving look, but she could tell Harper was serious. She glanced back to the frozen young man...taller than everyone else in the room and built like a Greek statue.

"That's a sixteen year old?" Alex repeated incredulously. "You mean he's not done growing yet?"

"I know," Harper chimed in. "Can you believe it?"

Alex shook her head. "What sixteen year old guy ever looked that good?"

"Justin did," Harper answered.

"Ugh," Alex groaned. "How do you do that? All these years of you being over your crush on my brother...but you can still manage to gross me out by bringing it up."

Harper laughed. "I say Justin looked just as good at sixteen." She paused. "Okay, this guy has better hair. But other than that, Justin was just as-"

Alex put her hands over her ears and started speaking loudly. "LA LA LA LA NOT LISTENING!"

The pretty redhead giggled and stopped singing the praises of her former crush.

"Now let's get back to finding that amulet," Alex suggested.

It only took a few minutes more to find the object of their search. In one corner of the dojo was a small set of shelves upon which rested a bonsai tree and an assortment of Asian themed knick-knacks. There in the midst of it all was the amulet.

"I still wonder how it got here," Harper commented.

"It was misplaced on Earth years ago," Alex answered. "And like I said before, completely harmless unless you could do magic and knew the proper spell to release the spirit inside. Anyone here could have bought it at a rummage sale or something, just like any of these other trinkets."

"Well, send it off to Justin and then let's go enjoy the day."

Alex pulled out her wand and began to wave it...then stumbled backwards. If Harper hadn't reached out to catch her she would have fallen backwards.

"What's wrong?" the redhead asked in alarm.

"Don't...know..."Alex said weakly. Every word seemed to be a struggle and she leaned heavily against her friend. "Wand...not..." Her eyelids fluttered and she collapsed completely into Harper's arms. "Feel...dizzy..."

Harper was very worried for her friend by now, but fought down feelings of panic by concentrating on what she could do to help Alex. There were couches and chairs over by the entrance to the dojo and Harper carried Alex to the nearest couch and laid her down.

Thankfully, Alex began to stir after only a few moments. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with her hands.

"Are you okay?"

"Getting there," the wizard answered. "It was so weird. For a second I felt like the whole world was out of whack. Couldn't think. Couldn't do magic." She paused, then she reached out with one hand. A look of concern came to her face.

"Alex?"

She ignored the question and began moving her fingers...slowly at first and then much more rapidly. Next she raised her other hand and began to gesture furiously. When she finally stopped there was a fearful look on her face.

"Alex, talk to me!" Harper demanded in a worried tone.

The wizard looked her in the eyes and responded with a frightened whisper. "I can't do magic!"

Before either could say another word, the sound of something shattering from across the room caught their attention. And although it wasn't very loud, the noise still instantly drew their gazes towards where the amulet had been. The amulet that was now laying in pieces on the floor.

 ** _To be continued..._**


	2. Chapter 2

Alex and Harper both held their breath in anticipation and dread. Both expected some sort of monstrous creature to appear before them any second.

So it was somewhat surprising when they eventually had to stop holding their breath and gasp for air...because nothing of the sort occurred.

"Well, that's anti-climactic," Harper said before turning her gaze to her best friend. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Alex answered. While she was happy that they weren't facing any demon, she was still upset by her lack of magic. "None of this makes sense."

Both girls were on edge...and Harper was startled when she thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. But when she turned she saw nothing but the karate students and their teacher...still frozen by Alex's earlier spell.

Or were they?

"Oh no," Alex said as she joined Harper in looking at the group. "My spell is wearing off."

Indeed, the five martial artists seemed to be unfeezing in starts and stops. An arm would raise, then go still again. A fist would start to clench, freeze, and then complete the clench a few long moments later.

"We have to get out of here before they see us!"

The two made a hasty exit just in time. For just as the front doors of the dojo closed behind them, the time freeze spell ended entirely.

******'******

Jack stopped his kata and looked toward his sensei with confusion.

"Something wrong?" Rudy asked.

"I don't know," he said hesitantly. "Did you feel...it was like something weird just happened."

The rest of the class stopped their practice and chimed in. All of them did have a sense of something being off somehow, but the feeling faded quickly.

"Everyone take a break," Rudy said. He turned and began to walk over to where his water bottle was sitting, when he caught sight of something amiss near the shelves in the corner.

"Hey, who did this?" he called out as he crouched over and began picking up pieces of the shattered amulet.

"Did what?" Kim asked, even as she and the rest of the class began moving closer to see what was going on. Milton was the closest

"It looks like something fell off one of the shelves," the thin teen answered.

"Were any of you messing around over here?" Rudy asked. As he spoke, his eyes (along with most of his students' eyes) all turned to Jerry.

"Hey," the young man said defensively. "I'm innocent."

The rest of the group remained skeptical. Jerry was much loved by them all...but when something went wrong, he was often involved. Though in fairness, each of the rest of them had also caused plenty of mishaps in the past.

"Maybe none of us did it," Milton offered. "It could have been a small tremor."

Everyone found this a reasonable enough explanation. All of them had experienced several earthquakes over the years, though fortunately only a few minor ones...their hometown of Seaford was in one of the more geologically stable parts of California.

"That could have been the weird feeling we had before," Jack offered.

"Yes, a micro-tremor," Milton continued. "One too small for us to really notice...but still enough to shake something off the shelf."

"Well, it was just a cheap trinket anyway," Rudy said. "I shouldn't have thrown any accusations around." He threw the trinket pieces in the garbage as his students went back to their break.

******'******

Outside the dojo, Alex was still upset and unsure what was going on, when her cellphone started ringing. It was her father.

"Alex, are you alright?" he said in a worried tone the instant she answered the call.

"Dad, I can't do magic!" she answered. "Wait...you knew something was wrong. What's going on?"

"I'll explain everything," he replied. But first tell me you're okay. And where's the amulet?"

The young wizard recounted how she'd found the amulet in a karate dojo and was about to send it off to Justin when she'd suddenly felt weak and disoriented...and then her magic was gone.

"The amulet broke," she went one. "And we were scared that some monster was going to appear...but nothing happened."

Back in New York, Jerry Russo was glad that his daughter couldn't see his face. From what she'd just told him, he could tell the timing of what had just happened was disastrous. But at least Alex and Harper weren't hurt.

"Honey," he finally said. "I got a quick message from Justin right before...well, it would have arrived just a moment before you felt something was wrong. He had to initiate a total magic lockdown."

"WHAT?!" Alex's face went white even as she yelled out the question. Which was quite understandable...since her father had just told her that the Wizard World had gone to their equivalent of DEFCON ONE.

In other words, total war was imminent.

Harper was frightened just by seeing the look on her best friend's face. Alex didn't scare easily, so Harper knew something very serious must be happening.

"What's wrong?" the redhead asked.

Alex told her father that she was putting him on speaker so that Harper could hear him as well. Then she asked him to explain everything.

What he told them did not put their minds at ease.

The evil wizards that Justin and his allies had been hunting, it had all been a distraction. The real plot had been for the Wizard Council to gather all these dangerous artifacts in one place...and then the leaders of the bad guys would strike...grabbing all the artifacts at once and attacking the Council right in the center of their seat of power.

Thankfully, their true plans had been discovered in time for Justin and others to make some hasty preparations...which included the magic lockdown.

"The Wizard World has been sealed off," Alex's father said in a heavy tone. "That means none of the fighting can spread to Earth...and none of the bad guys can escape to Earth or any other dimension. The final battle will be contained in Wizard World, but until it's over, no Wizards on Earth can access their magic."

"But is there any way for me to get there?" Alex asked. "If Justin needs help-"

"You know you can't," her father answered. "No magic. No access."

"Is Justin going to be okay?" Harper asked in a tone that made it clear she was as concerned as Alex.

Jerry Russo took a deep breath. "I'm not going to lie to you. This is serious. But remember...the bad guys' plan was designed to be a surprise. Justin and the rest removed that advantage. He's got the rest of the Council on his side...and Juliet. Plus all the Monster Hunters...and don't forget, that includes Felix."

Alex considered this. That was a lot of firepower backing Justin up...the entire Council, plus Juliet, Justin's vampire fiancee. Heck, Felix alone was more than a match for at least a dozen evil wizards...since the wand he wielded was the Wizard World's version of Excalibur. Furthermore, his loyalty to the Russos was unquestioned, seeing as how Justin had tutored the hulking young man in wizardry...and both Justin and Alex had helped Felix claim his legendary wand. That combination of power and loyalty had made Felix the obvious choice rebuild the previously devastated Monster Hunter organization. Thus, Alex had no doubt that Felix and all his hunters would defend Justin fiercely.

Still, she wished she could be there herself.

"I know how you feel, honey," her father said. "Just have faith that the god guys are going to win this one. Our side has the advantage." His tone managed to sound fairly upbeat...as what he was saying was true, Though, that didn't mean there wouldn't be casualties...which was a fact that he, Alex and Harper couldn't keep from their minds.

Nonetheless, there were more immediate matters at hand.

"Alex, all you can do now is find out where Molach is."

"The spirit in the amulet?" she replied. "He never appeared. And the amulet is in pieces."

"Yes...when the lockdown activated it would have weakened, if not outright destroyed any wizard spells active at Earth."

"So that's why my time freeze spell wore off so quickly," Alex said.

"Yes, and I want to talk to you about that," her father replied. "How many people were in the dojo? And do you know which ones were closest to the amulet when it broke?" He paused and an extra note of worry crept into his tone. "Were you or Harper the closest?"

"No, we were more in the waiting area," Harper spoke up to answer. "There were only five other people there. Four students and their teacher."

"Only five...good. That narrows it down."

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

"Molach didn't appear when the amulet broke. Now that's good news...because it means he's been trapped for so many centureis that his power has dwindled to almost nothing."

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming on?" Alex commented.

As an evil spirit, his magic isn't drawn from the Wizard World...he generates it himself. Right now he doesn't have enough power to even manifest a physical form...so he would have jumped into the nearest available body."

"Wait, he's possessed one of those karate kids?" Alex asked. "Or the teacher?"

"Not possessed," her father answered. "Not yet. He wouldn't have the strength. But as time goes on...his power will increase. First he'd start to influence his host body...corrupt that person's nature. That would make it easier for him to eventually take over destroying the host in the process."

"Oh no!" Harper said in alarm. "Can we stop that?"

"Without magic, you can't get Molach out of the host."

"So until the lockdown is over, I'm helpless," Alex said in a rueful tone.

"The only thing to do is slow him down until you get your magic back," her father said. "First try and find out which person he's in...then do whatever you can to counteract his influence."

"How do I do that without magic?"

"As I said," the elder Russo told his daughter. "Molach will be steering his host towards evil You'll need to encourage them to be good."

"You're saying this depends on me being a good role model for someone?" Alex asked with alarm. "We're doomed!"

"Now sweetie, don't give up hope. You can do this because...because..." He paused, trying to think of an argument that would convince his daughter. "Because Harper is with you."

Alex looked at the redhead and smirked as she replied. "Okay...that's a point for our side."

"Sweetie," Jerry Russo went on. "How about I catch the first flight out there and help you?"

Harper and Alex both raised their eyebrows at this. Jerry Russo was a rather..frugal man. So his willingness to spend money on cross country airfare made it obvious how seriously he felt about this situation.

"No," the younger Russo replied. "I'll handle this. You just let me know as soon as you hear from Justin again."

"You let me know if anything changes...or if you have any more questions. And both of you, please...be careful."

"We will" both girls said at once.

With the call ended, Alex looked to Harper and then back to the dojo.

"Well, let's get in there and find out who Molach jumped into."

Harper followed as Alex marched towards the dojo's door. "You have a plan?" the redhead asked.

Alex laughed. "When do I ever have a plan?"

 _ **To be continued...**_


	3. Chapter 3

The young martial artists had finished their break and were about to resume practicing their katas when two strangers entered their dojo.

"One second guys," Rudy told his students before going to greet the newcomers.

"Hey," Jerry said to his friend Milton. "Check out the babes."

"They look like college girls," the thin boy replied.

"Gorgeous college girls," Jack added.

Kim cleared her throat loudly and Jack could sense the glare she was giving him even before he turned to face her.

"But nowhere near as gorgeous as you," he said as sweetly as he could.

"Yeah, and don't you forget it," she said with a smirk.

******'******

"Can I help you ladies?" Rudy asked the newcomers.

"Um...hi, I'm Harper," the red-haired female said. "And this is my friend Alex."

"Yes," the brunette added. "We're new in town...and...we're...looking for a martial arts school to join."

Rudy smiled. New students, and the additional income that came with them, were always welcome. "Well, you wont find a better choice than the _**Bobby Wasabi Martial Arts Academy**_. I'm teaching a class right now, but if you'd like to wait...or if that's no good, make an appointment to see me tomorrow. I'd be glad to make time for you."

"Actually," Alex replied. "We'd really like to get to know what kind of place this is. What kind of students you have. So if we had a chance to talk to you and your class, that would be great."

While it wasn't the kind of request he usually got from potential students, Rudy didn't see the harm in it. "Okay. Just so you know, these are my star students. You're not going to find a better group to talk to. Just give me a minute with them first."

******'******

The short sensei then went over to his students and explained the situation.

"And I told them you were my finest students," he said to the group.

"Aw, thanks Rudy," Jerry replied.

"So don't screw this up!" he whispered to them in a threatening tone.

The four teens rolled their eyes. They knew how stressed their teacher could get about attracting new students, so they didn't take offense. A moment later, they were trading introductions with Alex and Harper.

Conversation went pleasantly, and normally, enough until Rudy went to answer a phone call in his office. Once the sensei was gone, Harper decided to try some more in-depth questioning in attempt to find Molach.

"So...have any of you started to feel...evil recently?"

As the teens all gave her confused looks, Alex shook her head. "Very subtle, Harper," she whispered before addressing the teens.

"What she means," the young wizard began, "is...are you all...uh..." She paused and then threw up her hands. "I've got nothing."

As the martial artists started to give the young women even more confused looks, Harper tried to recover.

"Sorry if we sound a little off," she said. "We had a long trip here."

"Oh, from where?" Milton asked. "L.A.?"

"New York," Harper answered.

"Whoa, you said you were new in town," Jack replied. "But you just arrived in California today?"

"And the first thing you did was look for a martial arts school?" Kim added.

"Uh...yes," Alex said. "We take our martial arts seriously." She felt a little lame as she finished, but couldn't think of anything else to say.

Fortunately, with this group...it was the perfect response.

"Alright," Jack said with a smile. "It's great to meet people who take the art seriously."

"I hope you join our dojo," Kim said. "If you're in our class I won't be the only girl anymore."

At that moment, Rudy returned from his office.

"Okay guys, he announced. "We do need to get back to class. Alex, Harper...why don't you sit down and observe, and then we can talk more afterwards."

The young women took a seat as the lesson resumed.

"None of them seemed evil to me at all," Harper told Alex.

"That Jerry kid-" the wizard began, only to be cut off.

"Creepy...not evil," the redhead replied. "And to be fair, he probably wouldn't have seemed creepy if he hadn't tried hitting on us." She grinned. "You handled him great by the way."

Alex chuckled. "I could tell you liked it...sis."

"Hey, if the excuse was good enough for you, it's good enough for me," Harper countered.

Alex had put an end to Jerry's flirting attempts by telling him that she felt weird being hit on by anyone that had the same name as her father. When the young man had turned his attention to Harper, she'd quickly made the same claim.

Which was only fair...for while it may not have been true in a legal or biological sense, in every way that really mattered Harper was part of the Russo family. And neither Alex nor her parents would have looked kindly on any who suggested otherwise.

"Anyway," the young wizard said. "It's probably too soon for Molach to be showing any signs...whichever body he's in."

"So we'll have to stay here...and sign up for classes...and get a hotel room." Harper began to fret. "This is going to be expensive."

"You have your credit card, right?" Alex asked. "Just charge everything. I'll magic up some cash for you when my powers are back."

"I thought there was a rule against that," the redhead countered.

"Oh no...a rule," the brunette's tone dripped with sarcasm. "I never break those." She smiled at Harper and continued. "Seriously, the rule is that wizards can't use magic to get rich. Not that we can't conjure up money for emergencies. And since we're here in the first place because Justin requested my help, this is an official mission from the Wizard's Council. That means I'm entitled to whatever expenses we need." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, maybe I'll start doing more missions...I bet there's all sort of expenses I can take advantage of. Of course, I'll have to convince Justin..." She trailed off as her expression became pensive,

Harper had no trouble guessing Alex's thoughts, "I'm worried about him too. But you know how good a wizard he is...and he's so smart."

"I know. But if anything happened to him...or Juliet. They're in danger and I can't do a thing because I don't have my magic. I can't deal with this."

"Yes, you can."

"No...I can't see how anybody could deal with this."

Harper took hold of her best friend's hand and squeezed gently. "I've dealt with it for years."

Alex's eyes widened as the meaning of those words hit her.

"I've lost count of how many times you or Justin and Juliet were facing danger and all I could do was sit on the sidelines and pray you'd all be safe. You know I'd do anything I could to help...but I've got no magic or special powers."

"You don't need powers, Harper. You've helped me plenty of times. Just like you are right now.

******'*****

After the class was over, Alex and Harper went into Rudy's office and signed up for lessons. They asked to be placed in the same class as Jack, Kim, Jerry and Milton. Rudy tried to suggest some alternative lesson times, explaining that this particular class was quite advanced...but the girls insisted that this was the class they needed to attend, claiming that they had no other available free time.

When they offered to pay for a month's worth of lessons in advance, Rudy was more than happy to grant their request.

******'******

By the time Alex and Harper had left the dojo and gone off in search of a hotel, three of the four students had already showered and changed into their street clothes. Jack however was still in his gi and intended to stay and practice some more.

"Again, Jack?" Kim addressed him with more than a bit of disappointment in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kim...but I really need to." There were unusual traces of frustration and embarrassment in his expression. He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "I'm still not getting it."

Kim gave her boyfriend a sympathetic look. She knew how much it hurt his pride to admit such a thing...even to her.

Jack loved the martial arts, and his mastery of it was uncanny. Every discipline he'd been taught, every technique he'd been shown...it all came so easily to him.

Until he'd tried _shin-du_.

It was an advanced and little known style...and one that Jack had actually been uninterested in the first time Rudy had offered to teach it to him. It was a defense oriented discipline...and Jack favored more aggressive styles.

But then he'd faced off against his sensei in a tournament, and learned just how potent _shin-du_ truly was.

It wasn't that Jack had never lost before. True, it was an exceedingly rare occurrence, but even the very best weren't perfect. It was just that he'd never been beaten with such ease. Seemingly effortless ease. The one time he and Rudy had ever gone all out against one another, he'd been able to match his sensei perfectly...until Rudy had started using _shin-du_ and Jack had become all put helpless against him.

That hadn't upset him though. Indeed he'd actually been happy with the outcome and grateful to know that he was being taught by such an amazingly skillful sensei.

The negative feelings came later...when Jack eagerly accepted Rudy's second offer of instruction in _shin-du_. For that was when he discovered, for the first time ever, a martial arts technique...

...that he wasn't any good at.

It didn't come naturally to him. It didn't come at all. So of course it became the style he wanted to learn more than any other. He needed to master it. How could he be a true martial artist if this one style remained beyond his ability?

All the extra practice he committed himself to was a testament to his discipline, but produced no positive results. Worse, it was taking up more and more of his time. Time that he could be spending with his friends. Time that he could be spending alone with Kim.

Fortunately, for him, Kim was both a fellow martial artist and an amazingly understanding girlfriend. A fact that was about to be highlighted at that very moment.

"Jack," the beautiful brown-eyed blonde said to him. "I was thinking about asking Rudy if he thinks I'm ready to attempt _shin-du_ training. If I am, we could work on it together."

"You really want to try?"

"Well, I do want to learn." A tender smile came to her face. "And I want to spend more time with you."

"That would be great. You're the best."

"Yes, I am," she said as her smile turned from tender to mischievous. "And gorgeous. Even more gorgeous than college girls."

"Absolutely," he replied in a completely sincere tone. "No question about it at all."

 _ **To be continued...**_


	4. Chapter 4

The hotel Harper choose was one of those that specialized in extended stays. Despite feeling a bit uneasy about the cost, she went ahead and picked one of the largest suites. She did have faith that Alex would pay her back when the magic returned after all, and with all they had on their mind, Harper figured they were entitled to whatever minor comforts that were available to them.

Alex called home again that evening. She had the chance to speak both her parents and also her boyfriend Mason as well. He immediately offered to fly out to California to join them...but Jerry Russo had quickly made clear why that was impossible.

Mason was a werewolf. While he was a charming and polite a young man, that didn't change the fact that the beast within him operated on instinct and impulse. If he came anywhere near Molach, even if the evil entity was at it's absolute weakest, Mason's bestial side would be an irresistible target. While it would be incredibly hard for Molach to leave one human host for another, leaping into Mason would be almost effortless for him. Similarly, while it would take Molach time to corrupt and posses a normal human...a werewolf's soul could be overcome and consumed in mere minutes. Not only would this be the end of Mason, but it would place Molach in control of a savage, homicidal beast.

Still, thinking with his heart instead of his head (as he so often did) Mason was willing to take the risk.

"No!" Alex's answer was firm.

"But I can't stand the thought of you being there in danger while I stay here and do nothing to help," Mason replied

"You coming here and getting killed would be worse." Alex's tone softened. "Think about how that would make me feel." She swallowed hard. "I couldn't take that."

The young Englishman sighed. "You're right, of course."

Alex managed a small smile. "I thought we'd established that I'm always right."

Once the phone conversation had ended, Alex turned to Harper.

"Do you want to call Zeke?

Harper shook her head. "I will in a day or two, but I'm not going to tell him what's going on. He'd just worry, and I don't want to ruin his vacation."

"Oh, yeah," Alex said as she tried to recall just what kind of camp Harper's boyfriend was serving as a youth counselor at. "He might as well enjoy...clog dancing camp?"

"Performing arts camp," the redhead corrected. "Though I'm sure he's giving plenty of clogging lessons to the kids."

"No doubt," Alex replied before changing the subject. "You ready for our first lesson tomorrow?"

"I think so. I still remember some of what I learned in Judo class years ago...before someone used magic to instantly make me a brown belt without telling me."

"Hey, I thought I was helping at the time," Alex countered. "It's too bad that spell isn't still active though. It might have been helpful."

Maybe." Harper shrugged. "The important thing is to find Molach before he can do anything to whoever he's hiding in."

******'******

The next day, Alex and Harper began their task of observing and learning all they could about their new classmates and teacher.

It quickly became obvious that finding Molach wasn't going to happen overnight, for the more time they spent with 'The Wasabi Warriors', as the dojo's star students were called, the more they found the teens to be likable, fun...and decidedly non-evil.

Milton was the least formidable fighter of the group, but an absolute genius. Harper quickly bonded with her fellow redhead, for he enjoyed discussing robots and alien languages just as much as Zeke and Justin always had.

Alex, somewhat to her surprise, got along well with Jerry. He was the delinquent of the group...or at least as close to one as this group could have. Underneath it all, he was a good-hearted kid who was fiercely loyal to his friends...though that didn't stop him from pranking them whenever he had the chance. It wasn't too long before Alex found herself giving him prank pointers, and getting a few new ideas from him in return.

Kim was overjoyed at finally having other females in the dojo with her, so she was quite friendly to both the newcomers. Harper and Alex each found the younger girl delightful. Harper appreciated the blonde's enthusiasm for schoolwork and good citizenship, while Alex admired the girl's aggressive and feisty nature. A nature that, when it showed itself, was anything but subtle.

******'******

Harper and Alex were walking through the park with their new friends when they passed another group of teens.

"Yo Jerry," one of the other group called out. "You still think you got the moves."

"You know I do," Jerry answered as he stepped towards the other boy. The two began circling each other in a way that made Alex and Harper guess that the two teens were longtime rivals.

"Are they going to fight?" Harper asked in a concerned tone.

"Not exactly," Jack answered.

"That's DJ," Milton added. "He and his friends are nothing to worry about."

But while the rest of the Wasabi Warriors remained relaxed, Jerry continued circling DJ in a confrontational manner.

"You calling me out?" the dark-haired teen asked.

"Only if you're up to the challenge," DJ answered.

"Name the time and place."

"Tomorrow, four o'clock. Outside _ **Circus Burger**_ ," came the reply.

"Alright then," Jerry said. "We' have ourselves a dance-battle!"

The worry that Harper had been feeling vanished with a surprised smile. "A dance-battle? Aw...Zeke would love this."

Alex started to comment, but her attention was drawn to Kim...who had stepped forward to offer some encouragement to Jerry.

Very loud encouragement.

"Yeah, you guys be there and be ready to watch DJ lose!" she exclaimed, eliciting a smile from Jerry. "And when I say lose, I mean LOSE! Beaten! Annihilated!"

DJ's group waled away but Kim continued calling after them...even as Jerry and her other friends began trying to quietly calm her down.

"You are going to get schooled!" she yelled. "BOOM goes the dynamite!"

"Kim," Jack said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I SAID BOOM!" she yelled once more before turning to face her boyfriend. Seeing the look on his, and her other friends' faces, her own expression became puzzled. "What?"

Jack, Jerry and Milton rolled their eyes, and then they and Kim acted as if nothing had happened.

For a moment, Harper and Alex wondered if the outburst was an indication that Molach was in Kim's body, but when they asked if this was unusual, Milton informed them that this was nothing new for Kim.

"You know," Alex whispered to Harper. "I think I just figured out why I like Kim so much."

"Because she's awesome?" Harper guessed.

"Besides that," the young wizard replied. "Think about it. She's all sweetness and light on the surface, but underneath she's a burning ball of rage." She paused and smiled. "She's a younger, blonder version of you."

Harper's eyes lit up. "She is!" Then her grin turned a little smug. "I told you she was awesome." Suddenly an idea struck her. "She doesn't quite have my fashion sense though. Maybe I should give her wardrobe a makeover."

Alex's first thought was to laugh, but then was struck with the frightening possibility that Kim might actually like the redhead's ideas on fashion. By herself, Harper in one of her outfits could be overwhelming. If she had a double, it might be more than the world could take.

"Let's just worry about finding Molach first," Alex suggested.

******'******

As for the final two possibilities for Molach's host, Harper and Alex saw no signs of evil either.

Indeed, if they had to pick one word to describe Jack...'heroic' would have been a fair choice. He was something of the leader among his friends. Certainly they all admired him. He was a good friend to Milton and Jerry, and he and Kim were clearly in love. An amazing martial artist, he nonetheless tried to defuse conflicts without violence whenever he could.

As to the group's sensei, Rudy, he was the one Harper and Alex were the most puzzled by at first. He was an incredible teacher, but also a hyperactive man-child. It startled the young women how he could offer sage wisdom one moment and turn into an immature goofball the next. Despite this, it was clear he'd do anything for his students, and that they'd do the same for him. Indeed, the Wasabi Warriors and their sensei seemed more like a family than martial arts school. The teens hung out at the dojo often outside of their lesson times, and Rudy often took them out for pizza or to the movies or otherwise socialized with them.

Alex and Harper were welcomed into the group so thoroughly that they were able join in to such activities. This gave them even more opportunities to look for signs of Molach.

Unfortunately as their first week in California ended, and then their second...there was still no sign of evil behavior to be seen.

******'******

"It's been three weeks, Dad," Alex spoke into the phone. "And magic is still on lockdown!"

"Honey, I know it's frustrating-"

"Frustrating?!" she exclaimed. "Dad, if the battle in the Wizard World is going so long, Justin could be in trouble!"

Jerry Russo sighed. He was just as worried about his eldest son as Alex was, but he wasn't going to show it. He was going to tell his daughter the same thing he'd told his wife. Yet even though he knew his words were the truth, he doubted that Alex would feel any more reassured than he was.

"The fact that the lockdown is still up is actually a good sign," he explained. "Yes, it means the battle is still going on...but it also means that the good guys are winning."

"How can you be sure?"

"The very best the evil wizards could be doing at this point is a stalemate. If they had the upper hand, they'd be able to lift the lockdown and start launching attacks on Earth and elsewhere...and believe me they would."

"But that doesn't mean that Justin and Juliet haven't been hurt...or..."

"They're fine!" He paused, regretting that he'd raised his voice. "We have to believe they're fine. The thing to do now is concentrate on Molach."

Knowing that was the only thing she could do, Alex tired to put her brother out of her mind.

"Are you sure Molach wasn't destroyed with the amulet?" she asked. "Because after all this time, Harper and I still haven't seen any signs of evil."

Her father pondered this. "We wouldn't be lucky enough for him to have been destroyed. But all the possible hosts are nice people...and they're all martial artists. Just how good are they? Their skill level."

"At martial arts?" Alex responded. "They range from very good to borderline unbelievable."

"Hmm...that might explain it. Martial arts requires mental discipline. So if these people are so good at it, and then genuinely nice people besides...they'd be much more resistant to Molach's influence."

"Does that mean they're safe from him?"

"I don't think so," the elder Russo reluctantly answered. "Even trapped inside a highly resistant host, Molach's power will increase over time. Eventually I'm afraid he could overcome any resistance."

******'******

There wa _s_ nothing but dark and silence. This was the entirety of Molach's world. He screamed in unholy rage but no there was sound.

 _Trapped...trapped inside this insufferable human!_

The spirit reached out, broadcasting dark feelings with as much force as he could. Anger. Rage. Fear. Greed.

The human host took no notice.

 _What kind of person is this!?_

Molach tried again.

Hate...no reaction.

Lust...wait. Something?

 _ARRGH!_ Molach roared silently and thrashed in his spiritual prison. For a moment he'd actually felt a brief response, only to see it brushed aside with apparent ease by the host.

Still, that short lapse had proved the human wasn't infallible. This host may be unbearably virtuous, but could be worn down.

Molach gathered his strength and tried again.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	5. Chapter 5

"That's great form, Harper," Rudy said as he watched her going through her kata. "I think we should start getting you ready for a new belt."

"Really?" she asked in surprise, stopping her exercise.. "Already?"

"You're making great progress. You work hard, you take correction well." He smiled. "And of course you have an amazing sensei."

Pleased with the praise, Harper resumed her kata as Rudy turned his attention ot his other students. He thought the two newest additions to his dojo were both working out quite well. The young women got along with everyone and both showed real potential, though Alex's skills were a bit of a puzzle.

Where Harper was a model student who showed great enthusiasm in class, Alex wasn't quite as dedicated. Rudy sometimes got the feeling that the young brunette was just doing enough to justify staying in class, only to periodically demonstrate some truly impressive ability. The sensei had no way of knowing that Alex had a fair amount of wizard combat training in her background. Such knowledge had proved useful to her in the past, such as the time she'd had to fight hand to hand with an evil duplicate of herself, and it was proving just as useful now in Rudy's class.

At the moment though, Alex's skills weren't enough to stop Kim from taking her to the mat.

"Let's see you get out of this," Kim said as she applied an arm lock on her fallen sparring partner.

"Ow! OW! That hurts!" the downed brunette cried out.

Kim released the hold immediately. "Alex, are you okay?"

"Just fine," Alex said with a smile as she sprung back to her feet. "And I got out of your hold."

"What? You? Ugh!" Kim sputtered in exasperation, but then began to laugh. "You are such a cheater!"

"Yeah," Alex replied nonchalantly. "That's sort of my thing."

Rudy shook his head. "Well, you can't cheat at katas," he said as we walked up to the two girls. "Go practice by Harper. I need to talk to Kim."

Once Alex walked away, Kim turned to her sensei. "What's up?"

"I wanted to see how your _shin-du_ practice is going," he explained.

"Pretty good," she answered brightly. "I really feel like I'm getting it."

"Show me."

The blonde dropped her arms to her side and a calm, serene look came to her face. She was seemingly meditating.

Rudy launched a quick kick to her side. She stood and continued looking straight ahead as she moved only one arm to block it.

The sensei took a step back and then turned as if to walk away, only to spin around and leap at his student. Kim stepped to the side, dodging the attack almost casually. The calm look on her face remained unchanged.

Rudy smiled. "Excellent." He walked closer to the girl as her meditative look morphed into a bright-eyed smile. A smile that lessened at the sensei's next words.

"You and Jack are still practicing together?" he whispered.

She nodded and replied in an equally quiet voice. "It's not helping."

A small frown appeared on Rudy's face.

"I don't understand it it," Kim continued. "He's never had a problem with a new style before. It's really getting him down."

"He shouldn't let it bother him," the sensei said. "I'll talk to him."

Rudy then called for a break for his class.

******'******

As the other students relaxed and Rudy took Jack aside, Harper sat down next to Alex.

"What are you looking at?" the redhead asked, noticing that her friend was seemingly staring at a point on the dojo's far wall.

"Trying something I just thought of," the wizard answered. "I'm looking for magic."

"What?"

"It's sort of complicated," Alex explained. "Wizards draw their magic from the power grid in the Wizard World and have for thousands of years, but it wasn't always that way."

"It wasn't?"

"Magic comes from the Wizard World and it used to cross over to Earth naturally...but randomly. If a wizard concentrated hard enough, they could see the crossover points and draw the magic to them. But then the power grid was created and wizards could draw magic to them automatically. I was hoping that I could find a natural crossover point even with the lockdown in place." She sighed. "But there's nothing. The Wizard World is sealed tight."

Harper saw her friend frown but then a thought occurred to her. "So, if you concentrate hard enough, you can see magic?"

"It's not easy, but yeah."

"Molach is magical. If you concentrated could you see which one of our friends he's hiding in?"

Alex's eyes lit up. "Harper you're a genius!"

Taking a deep breath, the wizard concentrated once again and turned her gaze to the nearest potential host in the room, Milton. She gasped as she saw invisible energy swirling all around him.

"It's Mil-" she began, only to have the words die in her throat when Jerry walked into her line of sight. The young Latino was also surrounded with a nimbus of energy, moreso than Milton.

Alex shifted her gaze to Kim, and suddenly felt the urge to shield her eyes. The young blonde was blazing like a star. And glancing over to Jack and Rudy as the stood together talking was like staring into a supernova.

"Crap," Alex said as she realized what she was seeing.

"What's wrong?" Harper asked.

Alex turned to answer her only to be surprised at what she saw. "Wow!"

"What?"

"You're shining."

"No, I'm not," Harper protested. "I haven't even broke a sweat."

"That's not what I mean. All of you are shining." Alex paused. "It was a good idea, but I can't find Molach. You're all too bright. You know how Rudy talks about us focusing our _chi_ in class?"

"Yeah."

" _Chi_ isn't just a martial arts concept. It's real energy that flows through all dimensions. Earth, the Wizard World...anywhere that life exists."

"Really?" Harper said. "Like the Force in _**Star Wars**_?"

"Yes, young Jedi," Alex answered sarcastically. "Unfortunately, all our friends here practice martial arts so much, and are so good at it, that they have _chi_ all around them. So do you, by the way."

"What? Seriously?"

"Almost as much as Milton and Jerry," Alex continued. "I know you're doing well in class, but for you to have so much _chi_ focused around you after a few weeks...that's impressive."

"But they know much more than me about martial arts."

"You having so much _chi_ doesn't mean you're as good a fighter as they are. It's just that you got so much so quickly. That shows you have a potential to be as good as them if you keep at it. Maybe someday you could even work up to Kim's or Jack's level."

"Wow," Harper replied in an excited tone. "So instead of becoming a best-selling author, maybe I should become an action movie superstar. Or a best selling author AND an action movie superstar!"

"Either way, make sure your mansion has plenty of room for me. Oh, and hire some extra maids. That way you won't have to clean up after me anymore."

******'******

Jack listened to his sensei's pep talk and thanked him for it.

"I'm going to keep working at it," he said, attempting to sound upbeat. "I'm determined."

"I have faith in you. But you know, if you don't get the hang of _shin-du_ , that doesn't make you any less-"

"I'm going to master it, Rudy," Jack interrupted. "I am."

"You and Kim can go ahead an practice right now, I'll have the rest of the class spar."

******'******

Frustration!

Molach pushed harder, hammering away at his host.

Envy!

Jealousy!

******'******

Jack swung at Kim who dodged the blow easily, staying in her _shin-du_ stance all the while.

He reversed his movement suddenly and attempted a spinning back-fist, moving faster than he ever normally would during a normal sparring session.

Kim caught his arm and flipped him to the mat. He didn't get back up immediately.

"Let's switch," Kim suggested as she helped her boyfriend to his feet.

"Sure." His tone was flat and subdued.

Planting his feet firmly, Jack dropped his arms to his side and took a deep breath and tried to focus.

Kim waited for some time before launching a basic kick towards him. A kick that wasn't particularly fast.

Jack blocked the attack, but the look on his face was far from calm or serene.

"Kim, don't throw softballs at me."

"That was not a softball."

He stared at her.

"I was...just warming up," she offered in an unconvincing tone.

The young man returned to the _shin-du_ stance once again. "Now let's do this for real."

The blonde waited once more before throwing a punch. Jack blocked it instinctively, but not using the _shin-du_ technique.

"Damn it," he muttered.

"Why don't we just get into the stance and meditate?" Kim suggested. "We'll save the sparring until later.

"I've done enough meditating." The volume of his voice began to rise. "I'm sick to death of meditating."

"Jack, don't-"

He turned abruptly and began to walk away. By this time, the rest of the class had noticed the drama and were paying more attention to Jack and Kim than their own sparring practice.

"Jack...hey," Kim said in gentle tone as she raced after him. "It's okay," She reached out and touched his arm.

He spun around, moving faster than he did during sparring sessions.

Faster than he did during most tournament matches.

As fast as he ever had during a real fight.

He spun around...and punched Kim in the face.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	6. Chapter 6

A full force punch from a strong, athletic young man can be a dangerous thing.

When that same young man is also a black belt who's lived and breathed martial arts since early childhood, 'dangerous' is a sadly inadequate term.

The blow could have shattered a jaw. It could have destroyed an eye socket.

It could have killed.

And if the victim had been anyone other than Kim, it probably would have.

Thankfully, as surprised and unsuspecting as she had been, Kim's own martial arts skills prevented disaster. Her defensive instincts were at their peak, since she'd just been concentrating on the _shin-du_ discipline a moment before. And thus she was able turn her head and roll with the blow as it struck, which saved her from the worst of the possible consequences...though she was still knocked cold.

As she fell to the floor, the entire dojo seemed frozen. Everyone felt overwhelming shock, with a fair bit of horror and disbelief mixed in.

Horror and disbelief were what Jack was feeling himself. This couldn't be happening. His fist couldn't have struck Kim. She couldn't be sprawled unconscious at his feet.

And most horribly of all, there couldn't be a some dark urge in his head telling him to hit her again.

"K-Kim?" His voice was weak and quiet, sounding nothing like his usual confident self. He looked once more at Kim, then at his still clenched fist. Finally he turned and fled from the dojo, terrified that if he didn't, he might hurt her some more.

As he ran, others in the dojo finally shook off their own shook. Milton reached Kim's side first, calling her name even as Jerry, Alex and Harper quickly gathered around the fallen blonde.

Rudy however sped past them, pursuing his star student.

"JACK!" he yelled out angrily. "JACK! GET BACK HERE!"

Once he'd exited the dojo however, he saw no sign of the young man. His emotions in turmoil, he wanted...needed...to find Jack and demand answers, but there was no easy trail to follow. In addition, he also felt a great need to turn back and see to Kim...though his worriy about her well-being only increased his inner turmoil all the more.

"JACK!" he screamed out in a disturbingly anguished voice before turning back to his dojo.

******'******

Kim was sitting on a small couch in Rudy's office, with her friends gathered round her. She'd regained consciousness only a few minutes after she'd been punched, and though she still felt a bit woozy...and would be sporting one heck of a black eye...she was largely unharmed, at least physically.

Her emotional well being was another matter.

That being said, as upset and confused as she was, she was probably the most collected of everyone in the room. This was understandable when one considered that while Kim had experienced the surprise attack from Jack...and felt the shock, the hurt and the sense of betrayal...all the others had gone through the horror of seeing Kim struck and watching her fall. They'd all had that terrifying moment of wondering if she might be gravely injured...or worse.

What made everything even harder to take was that such a terrible deed had been committed by someone so close to them all. Kim could see the confusion in Milton and Jerry's eyes, along with their concern for her. In contrast, Alex and Harper seemed just as concerned and upset, but not so confused. Kim would have taken time to reflect on that, if not for the final person there with her.

For her sensei was seemingly on the verge of a complete meltdown.

Over the years that she'd known him, Kim had seen plenty of examples of how emotional Rudy could be. She'd seen him angry. She'd seen him manic and agitated. She'd seen him devastated and depressed.

She'd never seen him like this.

He'd paced back and forth, stopped and turned to Kim as if to say something, only to turn away and resume pacing. This pattern repeated several times before he finally forced himself to approach her and kneel down in front of her. When he spoke at last, Kim could tell he was trying to be gentle and comforting toward her, but the anxiety in his eyes was so intense that his attempt was futile.

"Kim," he began in an unsteady voice. "I'm going to ask you something, and you have to swear to tell me the truth. Has Jack ever hit you before?"

The question was not what she was expecting, but she was quick to answer. "No. Never."

"Don't lie to me, Kim!"

Her sensei's response shocked her, not only because he hadn't believed her, but the note of anger in his voice...and the fact that he looked close to bursting into tears.

"Rudy, I swear," she replied. "He's never hit me before! He's never even raised a hand to me or threatened to!"

Nothing she said seemed to reassure her sensei however, a fact that the others took note of as well.

"Rudy," Jerry as he crouched down next to his teacher. "We're all freaked out, man...but we need to stay calm."

"We get it, Rudy," Milton added. "This must be extra hard on you because you've taught Jack so much. So to see him use something he's learned to hurt Kim-"

Milton stopped speaking as Rudy stood back up and turned to face the brainy teen. Shockingly, the anguish in the sensei's eyes was even greater now than it had been a moment before. Milton realized that the idea he'd just spoken had NOT occurred to Rudy until that moment

Kim rose from the couch, concerned at how on edge her friend and mentor was. "Rudy, I don't understand anything that's happening, but please...talk to me."

He took a few deep breaths and motioned for Kim to sit back down. He then leaned back against his desk, and made every effort to calm himself.

"I never told you about my big sister," he said slowly.

"You have an older sister?" Milton commented.

Rudy paused. "I...had one."

All his students were silent as Rudy told them of his sister, Millie. Born nine years before him, she'd always been supportive of her her baby brother...taking him to martial arts lessons, and never missing any of his tournaments. Rudy told them of how she'd begun dating and eventually married a man named Roger, and how the man had been welcomed into the family.

"He was like a big brother. He came to my tournaments with Millie. He played ball with me. He took me fishing. And Millie was so in love with him. How could I not like the guy?"

Alex spoke up, getting an ominous feeling about where Rudy's story was going. "But there was something wrong, wasn't there?"

"Somewhere along the line, Roger and Millie started having problems. My family knew, but nobody thought it was serious. Couples argue. That's natural. It didn't mean they didn't love each other." Rudy paused. "What we didn't know...was that Roger started beating her."

"Oh no," Kim said softly, now understanding why her sensei was so upset.

"He started beating her, and my sister...kept it secret. She still loved him." Unable to keep his emotions in check any longer Rudy pushed off his desk and then turned and brought his fist down upon it with such force that the top of it shattered.

"She loved him...and the sick thing is that he loved her too. But it didn't stop him from killing her."

Kim slowly went to her sensei's side and put her arms around him. She held him for a long while before speaking.

"I swear to you, Jack has never hit me before. Please believe me."

Rudy looked into the blonde girl's eyes and studied them before returning her hug. "I do."

"We're so sorry about your sister," Milton said.

"When she died, that's when I left home," Rudy explained. "You've heard me talk about other things that happened when I stopped competing in martial arts, and all of that was true...but the real reason I quit and dropped out of sight for so long was my sister. It took me a long time to deal with it. I felt like it was my fault. I should have known and protected her." He shook his head. "But I never had any idea."

"That is so messed up," Jerry said in a somber tone. "How can a guy do that? And how can a woman stay with a guy who beats her? And lie for him?"

"It's sad and it's wrong," Rudy answered. "But in most abusive relationships. the victim does stay...and does keep it hidden. They can even think it's their fault that they get beaten." He paused and stood up straighter, speaking with a steadier tone. "Promise me, if any of you ever get involved with someone who hits you, you'll come to me...or go to the authorities...or a doctor." He made a point to look to Jerry and Milton. "It's not just women who can be victimized like this. Men can be abused as well. Even if they're stronger than their abuser, they can be unwilling to fight back...and too embarrassed to seek help."

"But what about Jack?" Milton asked. "We've known him for years and...this isn't like him. What could cause him to just..." The young man trailed off as he threw up his hands in despair. "This makes no sense!"

Harper and Alex exchanged glances. They knew the reason for Jack's shocking behavior, but they had no idea if they could convince their friends of the truth...nor if they should even try to.

"Should we tell them?" Harper whispered.

Alex gave no answer. Not only was that question weighing on her mind, there was also the large problem...how could she help Jack without her magic?

"Alex? What should we do?" Harper whispered once more...but this time she was overheard.

"Harper? Alex?" Kim said as she looked to the older women.

Making her decision, the young wizard stepped forward. "Guys, we have something to tell you. Something you will find pretty hard to believe."

"You have to understand," Harper added quickly. "We would never lie to you about something like this. Not when things are so serious."

"What is it girls?" Rudy asked.

"The reason Jack hit Kim," Alex explained. "It wasn't his fault. He's under the influence of an ancient evil spirit."

These words were met with total silence. Silence that was finally broken by last thing Alex and Harper would have expected.

"Of course!" Milton exclaimed. "I knew Jack would never do something like that!"

"You believe me?" Alex asked, somewhat stunned.

"I was possessed by the spirit of an ancient warrior once," he answered. "He wasn't evil, but he made me do things I never would have done otherwise."

"So you know about the supernatural," Harper said.

After a bit more conversation, it became apparent that all the Wasabi Warriors had seen proof of otherworldly powers before. Furthermore, they were certainly willing to listen to any idea that could explain Jack's actions, though this didn't mean they didn't have questions. Alex and Harper did their best to provide answers, telling them everything that had led to this point.

"So this Molach is trying to take over Jack? And if he does, Jack will be gone forever?" Kim asked in alarm.

Alex nodded grimly. "Until I get my magic back, the only thing we can do to save him is to appeal to his human side. Keep him fighting and resisting Molach."

"That means we have to find him," Rudy said. "And soon."

 _ **To be continued...**_

 _ **author's note:** Hope you've been enjoying the story so far. Please review and let me know what you think. Also, if you have any friends who you think would like this tale, please spread the word. So far I've been getting almost no hits and no feedback at all. That's frustrating. _


	7. Chapter 7

Jack was running.

His muscles ached, his breathing was labored. He was exhausted.

Yet he kept running. He didn't even slow down.

Molach was less than pleased.

 _Turn back!_ he screamed inside Jack's head. _Go back to those weaklings you called friends! Show them your power! MY POWER!_

The more the evil spirit goaded him, the more determined Jack was to keep running.

He was terrified.

He didn't know what the strange voice inside him was or where it came from. All he knew was that it was growing harder and harder to resist, despite the fact that everything it was telling him went against all that he believed...all that he knew was right.

He had to stay away from his friends. He had to stay away from Kim. Indeed, he had to stay away from everyone. He didn't want to hurt anyone.

With that in mind, and the evil voice inside him growing louder by the moment, Jack could only think of one place to run.

When Molach realized the young man's intent, his rage increased a hundredfold.

******'******

Rudy and his students checked Jack's home first. There was no sign he'd been there. His parents were out of town for the week, which was probably for the best. As it might have been awkward to try explaining to them that their son was currently acting as a host for an ancient evil spirit.

"We should split up and search," Jerry suggested. "We can cover more ground that way."

"That might not be safe," Rudy said. "I don't want any of you facing him alone."

"Dude, he's one of my best friends. He's not going to hurt me."

"Jerry, I feel the same way," Milton interjected. "But...he hit Kim."

There was a long pause from them all after that, for no other words were needed. They all realized that if Molach could make Jack attack Kim, then none of them were safe.

Still, if they wanted to help Jack, they needed to find him as soon as possible.

"Let's at least split up into two groups," Kim suggested.

After some brief discussion, it was decided that Kim, Jerry and Alex would go in one direction while Rudy, Milton and Harper would go the other. Rudy placed Jerry with Kim because he was the most capable fighter among them, not counting Rudy or Kim herself. Alex and Harper were somewhat reluctant to be split up, but there was a certain logic to it. Each of them knew more about Molach than everyone else, so they could each serve as the 'magic expert' for their respective group.

Of course, Harper didn't feel that she was much of an expert, but Alex did appreciate the fact that if Harper was with Rudy's group, she'd be with the most skilled fighter of them all. She trusted that the sensei would do his utmost to protect her best friend.

Thus, the search for Jack continued.

******'******

Jack finally collapsed to his knees as he neared the edge of the overlook.

The night was clear, so the view was especially magnificent. The Pacific Ocean, under a sky filled with stars...air and water laid out before him and meeting at the distant horizon. A spectacular sight, with an equally impressive soundtrack to accompany it. The sound of the waves crashing into the cliff-side's base far below.

Molach, despite his growing strength and rage, felt his influence on the human slip lower and lower. It couldn't be helped. Not with this sight before Jack's eyes. It was too similar to the other nights he'd come up here. The nights he and Kim had spent here together.

The nights they'd talked, and the nights they hadn't. The nights when it had just been enough to sit together in silence and watch the stars.

That one special night when they'd neither talked nor watched the stars.

 _STOP THIS!_ Molach lashed out. _I WILL NOT BE DENIED!_

Jack felt it of course. He still didn't understand what it was, but he felt the rage and the hate coursing thru him...threatening to overwhelm him.

Yet for all that, the same images kept appearing in his mind's eye. Images of a beautiful face with brown eyes and golden hair. So many images of that face smiling at him...and one specific image of that same face, not smiling but confused...an instant before his fist crashed into her.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?!" his cry rang out into the night...sounding more like the pained howl of a dying animal than a man.

Anyone who truly knew Jack knew that he had the heart of a warrior. He did not believe in surrender. He did not quit. Certainly he would never yield when fighting for something he believed in.

So for him to have come to this place, with only one plan in mind...this was a clear indication of how close to beaten his spirit was.

Still, he would not quit.

He would not hurt anyone. He would not hurt Kim.

This was what he told himself as he dug his fingers into the ground and began crawling forward...fighting every inch of the way as Molach tried to take control and turn him aside.

Crawling towards the edge of the overlook and its long, long drop to the rocks below.

******'******

They'd checked all the obvious places on their list already, and Rudy, Milton and Harper felt more and more hopeless with every moment that passed.

"Maybe the others have had some luck," Harper said in a futile effort to raise their morale. She knew as well as anyone that if Kim, Alex and Jerry had found something, they would have called or texted them at once.

"Let's go back to the dojo," Milton suggested. "Maybe he came back."

"We can at least check there," Rudy said in a heavy tone. "Before we think of somewhere else to look."

They were all weary in spirit, which was natural given the seriousness of the situation, but Harper had been most struck by how Rudy had been affected. She and Alex hadn't known the sensei as long as the others of course, and she had no doubt that his young students knew him far better than she, but in the past month she had always noted a certain lightheartedness in the man. He had an energetic, almost whimsical quality that never seemed far from the surface.

Yet now, there was no sign of that part of himself. Not even a trace. Instead, there was just worry and sadness.

As they journeyed back to the dojo, Harper fell in step besides Rudy.

"We'll find a way to save Jack," she said.

When he turned to look at her, she saw the briefest flash in his eyes. A desperate look aimed at her, begging her to convince him that what she'd said was true. That look vanished quickly however, and in its place came a different but just as clear message.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "But don't worry about comforting me right now. Jack is our first priority."

"He means a lot to you," she replied. "They all do."

He waited a moment before responding. "I love these kids. I've watched them grow up so much...in just a few years."

Harper had no doubt of the man's sincerity. "That's part of why you were so upset before, when you thought Jack might have been abusing Kim..." As soon as the words left her mouth Harper wished she could have taken them back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up."

"It's okay," he said. "And we know that's not the problem now."

"May I ask you something?" Her words were hesitant. "It might be painful to talk about."

"Go ahead."

"You know your students so well...but you really believed that it was possible for Jack to be abusing Kim. It's hard for me to-"

"To understand," he finished the sentence for her. "I don't blame you. That's the problem with a lot of abusive relationships."

"You can really be that close to two people when one is hurting the other, and not see it until it's too late?"

"That's exactly what happened with my sister," he replied. "If you don't see the actual violence with your own eyes." He shook his head. "Sometimes even then. I've read a lot about domestic abuse over the years. Sometimes family and friends will see signs and be in denial themselves...not because they're trying to excuse abuse...but because they literally can't believe that someone they know and care about would be capable of doing something so horrible."

"So victims can convince themselves that nothing bad is happening," Harper responded. "Abusers can convince themselves that nothing bad is happening, and the people closest to them can convince themselves too?"

"Yes. Not in all cases, but yes. That's what is so insidious about it." He looked at Harper. "Like I said before, if you ever have any concerns for yourself or someone you know, seek help. Talk to someone. Talk to me if you want. Just don't ignore it. Promise me that."

"I promise."

******'******

 _YOU WILL NOT ROB ME OF THIS BODY!_ Molach screamed.

The evil spirit was growing stronger by the minute, but still could not overpower Jack directly. Though, he'd managed to slow the young man's progress enough that Jack had not yet reached the edge of the overlook.

If Jack did succeed in killing himself, Molach would not be harmed...but all the strength that he'd gathered since entering the human's body would be scattered to the winds. He'd be reduced to the same weakened state that he'd been when first escaping the amulet, and would have to find a new body to enter while re-gathering his power.

The problem was...after so many centuries of being trapped, Molach was rather short on patience.

Fortunately for the cruel entity, he had a few factors working in his favor. Jack may have been insufferably noble, and willing to sacrifice himself to prevent harm to his friends, but he was as far from the suicidal type as a person could be. His current actions were born out of desperation and the inability to formulate any alternate ideas with so much of his mind and soul preoccupied with resisting Molach.

 _Listen to me,_ the evil spirit reached out, no longer forcing. _You are in control. I am you. Do not fight me. I am you._

"You're evil!" Jack spat out with as much defiance as he could muster.

 _No, you misunderstand. You did strike out blindly...and hurt your precious Kim...but that was an accident. You are not to blame._

The sudden change in tactics took Jack off guard. The unrelenting pressure he'd been feeling had finally lessened, giving him a much needed respite, but his confusion was even greater now.

"What are you?"

 _I am you. We are one._

"I'm not listening to you!"

 _Please...please...you are confused. You don't see who is to blame._

Desperate for answers, Jack dared a question. "Who is to blame?"

If Molach could have smiled at that moment, he would have.

 _Don't you see? You were betrayed by the one you trusted. The one who should have taught you. Your sensei._

"NO!" Jack's defiance roared back.

Molach nearly lost his temper at the human's loyalty to his teacher, but continued on with the gambit.

 _He didn't teach you properly. Shin-du, the one technique he used to defeat you...he keeps it from you._

"No," Jack insisted. "He is teaching me. I-I just haven't...gotten it yet."

 _When have you ever failed at learning a technique? It's not you. It's him. Rudy is sabotaging you._

"He'd never do that!"

 _He keeps the shin-du from you so you cannot surpass him. Then he taught it to Kim...to trick you...to make you jealous. To make you strike her. He wanted you to hurt Kim. Rudy is to blame._

"STOP IT!" Jack cried out. "That's not true!"

 _Rudy is to blame,_ Molach repeated. _Rudy...Rudy...Rudy..._

Jack's resistance continued even as the evil spirit kept up his accusations. Molach began to worry that his ploy was a failure, but suddenly Jack's entire demeanor shifted.

"Yeah...Rudy," he said simply. "Rudy. Yes."

Molach grew excited. _Yes. He is to blame. Go to him. Punish him!_

"Yes," Jack repeated as he lowered his resistance, allowing Molach to ease his exhaustion and take some control of his limbs. "I'll go to him."

 _Finally!_ Molach thought with glee. _Finally...progress!  
_

******'******

Back at the dojo. Rudy, Milton and Harper found that Kim, Jerry and Alex had also returned to regroup, having fared no better in their search for Jack.

They all decided not set out again without first trying to think of a better way to find their friend. However, fate would decree that no new strategy would be needed.

For Jack, with Molach guiding his steps, soon returned.

 _ **To be continued...** _

_**author's note:** I had a tough week so I didn't get this posted as quickly as I'd liked. Hope to get the next chapter out before the weekend (if things go my way). Thank you very much to the reviewers. Everyone please let me know what you think of the story so far._


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone was frozen in shock when the door swung open and Jack entered.

From the expression on his face, it was clear something was very wrong.

Alex and Harper looked to one another, each with the same fear. Had Molach taken over? Was it already too late to save Jack?

At almost the same moment, Kim moved towards her boyfriend.

"Jack?"

Molach saw the worry in the young blonde's eyes and reveled in it. Still, he showed some restraint. While he may have been in control of Jack's body, the young man's spirit was still within him. The human may not have been resisting him at the moment, but Molach knew that would change if he attacked the girl.

"Stay back...Kim." The voice was cold and harsh. "I didn't come here for you." He turned to glare at Rudy. "I came for him."

The sensei motioned for his students to get behind him even as he walked towards the possessed young man.

"Jack," he said. "I know this isn't you."

"Oh you'd like to think that," came the sneering reply.

To Molach's surprise, one of Rudy's newer students called out.

"We know exactly what you are, Molach," Alex declared. "Release our friend now...or the Wizard's Council will have you destroyed!"

"You...you're a wizard?" the evil one asked using Jack's voice. "And you know of me?" He began to chuckle as he put the pieces together in his mind. "You must have come here looking for me." His chuckling gave way to full blown laughter. "Well, now that you've found me, what exactly are you going to do? I can sense the magic lockdown...you're powerless!"

Before Alex could offer a response, Kim attempted to move towards her boyfriend once more. Molach didn't notice her approach at first, and when she realized how close she was, he all but leapt away.

"I told you to stay away from me!" he hissed.

Observing all this, Harper whispered to Alex.

"Is Molach afraid of her?"

The young wizard was wondering the same thing herself.

"Jack's spirit has to still be in there," Alex guessed. "And from the way Molach is acting, Kim is the one who can get through to him."

Those words may have been true enough, but it didn't stop Alex from worrying about the blonde girl's safety. Of course, she wasn't the only one with that concern.

Rudy stepped over and took gently took Kim by the arm. "I said stay behind me."

Once he'd positioned himself between the girl and her boyfriend, he turned to the possessed teen.

"I've come to teach you a lesson," Molach said smugly as he looked down at the short sensei.

"I didn't sign up for any lessons from you, monster," came the reply. Then Rudy changed his tone. "Jack? Come on. Come back!"

Molach laughed. "Fool! Don't you know that your precious Jack and I are one now? And do you know why? Because of you!"

Rudy seemed to ignore the words. "Jack? I know you can fight this!"

The malevolent laughter continued. "You pathetic little man!. Jack stopped fighting when I told him to turn his anger against you! You are the reason I'm here! YOU!"

Hints of doubt and sorrow began to flicker in Rudy's eyes. "Why? Why me?"

Molach's laughter suddenly ended in a choking cough. The evil one was caught off guard as Jack, who had been passively letting Molach control his body, suddenly began resisting again with renewed fervor.

"I'll...tell you...why." The words that answered Rudy were not Molach's but Jack's. He looked his sensei in the eye, letting Rudy see that it truly was him. "Because...you...can...stop me!"

Seeing the desperation plainly on Jack's face, Rudy reached out to his student. However the young man was not looking for sympathy or comfort.

"Please Rudy...don't let me hurt anyone! Whatever it takes...stop me!" Then his expression changed once again and an almost inhuman scream of rage filled the dojo. "NOOOOOOOOO!"

Molach regained control of Jack's body and lashed out at the closest target. Rudy managed to block any real damage from the strike but was still sent staggering back several steps.

Fortunately, the evil entity was too enraged at the moment to follow up his attack. Instead he whirled around, glaring at every human in the room fiercely and talking to thin air all the while.

"Impudent human worm!" he roared. "Trying to trick me! Resting and gathering your strength for more resistance! You will pay!"

It was clear Molach's words were aimed at Jack, which increased everyone's hopes that their friend could be saved. For clearly the young man was putting up more of a fight than Molach had even realized.

However, this fact did nothing to reduce the danger they were all in. For Molach was now in control of Jack's body once more, and after his ranting had ceased, he again attacked. This time with a lunging strike towards Milton, which sent the lanky teen flying backwards into a wall.

Jerry sprang forth to strike back, as he often did when any of his friends were attacked, but this was no neighborhood bully he was facing. Molach caught Jerry's leg in mid-kick and flung the young man across the room. Such an action left an opening for Rudy to exploit however, as the sensei rushed forward and put Molach to the floor with a simple takedown.

It was only a momentary setback for the evil one. Rudy didn't want to harm Jack's body and had only used minimal force. Molach was back on his feet quickly, and began laughing once more, all but goading anyone to attack him.

Harper took up a defensive stance next to Kim and spoke to the blonde.

"Rudy can beat Jack without hurting him, right?"

"Yes," came the reply, but there was uncertainty in Kim's eyes. "Maybe? I mean...this isn't sparring or a tournament bout. Molach isn't going to tap out!"

"And knocking Jack's body unconscious might make things worse," Alex commented grimly as she also took a fighting stance next to the other girls. "It could weaken Jack's resistance."

"But what can we do?" Kim asked. The fear in her tone was clear. A fear that only increased when she heard Alex's answer.

"I don't know."

******'******

The battle raged on in the dojo for what seemed an eternity.

Rudy and his students were all handicapped by their concern for Jack. They held back and stayed on the defensive.

Molach showed no such restraint.

The flow of the fighting took shape early on. Rudy and Kim were the only ones with the skill to match Jack. The rest had to hang back and keep the guard up in case Molach launched an attack their way.

For Molach's part, he focused most of his efforts on Rudy as the sensei was the most formidable. Also, the evil one was still hesitant to launch any attacks against Kim...a clear sign that Jack was still doing his best to resist the creature.

Sadly, Alex knew that all of this fighting would be useless in the end. Without magic she couldn't remove Molach from Jack's body, and no matter how strong the young man's spirit was...he couldn't last forever.

In desperation, she concentrated and once again tried to find some trace of magic. Some small leak from the Wizard World, a crack in the lockdown.

Of course there was none. Instead all she saw was the white hot intensity of all the _chi_ in the room. Energy surrounding Jerry, Milton and Harper as they stood by with their defenses up. Energy blazing like twin infernos around Rudy and Kim as they concentrated and focused on each move they made. More energy that Alex had ever seen, even though the two black belts were only using defensive maneuvers. Energy so strong she could feel it.

 _Wait!_ she thought. _I CAN feel it!_

As the young wizard had explained to Harper not so long ago. _Chi_ existed is all dimensions where there was life...the Earth and the Wizard World included. Now, with Rudy and Kim using so much of it, they weren't drawing it just from local sources. They were actually pulling in extra _chi_ from nearby dimensions.

And there was no dimension closer to Earth than the Wizard World.

The brunette ran up to Kim while Molach was concentrating on Rudy. She pulled the blonde back from the fight.

"No time to explain," she said before the younger girl could either question or protest. "Listen to me. Meditate and focus all your _chi_...like you were getting ready to make the most powerful attack in the history of martial arts. But just keep focusing and building more _chi_. Don't even think about trying to release it!"

Harper overheard her friend and stepped forward with a question of her own, but again the wizard stressed that time was of the essence.

"Just trust me," Alex said. "I need as much _chi_ as possible."

Without a word or a moment of doubt Harper quickly ushered Jerry and Milton over next to Kim, causing Alex to smile. Even under the worst circumstances, the wizard knew she could always count on her best friend. She then gave the two young men the same instructions she'd given Kim.

******'******

Though the fight was taking longer than Molach had anticipated, the cruel entity was still enjoying it.

He could tell that the troublesome little sensei, for all his skill, was tiring. Molach would enjoy watching the anguish in the fool's eyes when the hopelessness of it all finally sank in.

Molach drew back the fist of his host body to make an attack...but was shocked when he was unable to throw the intended punch. Indeed, he suddenly found Jack's body to be frozen in place.

Rudy was equally surprised at his opponent's immobility. "Jack?" he asked hopefully.

Molach however knew that it was not Jack that had frozen him. Oh, the human was still resisting...a resistance that was slowly growing stronger now that the body had been paralyzed. While this alarmed Molach greatly, he knew that Jack wasn't the cause of whatever was going on.

 _WHAT IS HAPPENING?_ the creature raged within his host's body.

An instant later, the question was answered when Alex stepped in front of Jack, allowing Molach to see her. To see the smirk on her face.

To see the arcane energy glowing around her fingertips.

 _What? NO! The lockdown is still in place! How?_

Alex raised her hands and touched her fingertips to Jack's forehead.

"Sorry Molach," she said, still smirking. "This is a single occupancy body, and you're about to be evicted!"

He felt the wizard's spell reaching out to him and responded by gathering all of his own dark power to strike back.

 _We'll see about that!_

 _ **To be continued...**_

 _ **author's note:** Hmm...it looks like Molach might have a trick or two left. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please review._


	9. Chapter 9

It didn't take Alex long to realize something wasn't right.

Her spell was supposed to pull Molach's spirit out of Jack's body, but instead she found herself being pulled in.

She tried to keep herself anchored, only to grow frustrated. Molach had regained enough of his power to put up quite a resistance. Under normal circumstances Alex was confident she could have overwhelmed him, but now her access to her magic was far more tenuous. The link to the Wizard World that her friends had created with their _chi_ was delicate. If something went wrong, not only could the link collapse, but there might even be a backlash that could harm her friends.

 _Foolish child_ , Molach mocked her. _You are no match for me!_

The arrogance in his tone actually worked to Alex's advantage. From middle school bullies to world-threatening megalomaniacs, everytime she had faced someone with a superiority complex, she had the same reaction.

"Pssht." The noise that came out of her mouth was as dismissive and sarcastic as the words that followed. "Please...you don't know me."

With that, the young wizard stopped trying to fight the pull...and let her spirit dive right into Jack's body.

******'******

Rudy was still staring in confusion as Jack and Alex stood motionless before him. Then, Harper came and took him by the arm.

"No time to explain," she said as she pulled him over to where Kim, Jerry, and Milton stood meditating. "Alex needs everyone to focus their _chi_. As much _chi_ as possible."

While the sensei had numerous questions in mind, it was clear that Alex was doing something magical. If _chi_ was what she needed to save Jack, then _chi_ was what she was going to get. He stood besides his students and started meditating.

A moment later, Harper closed her eyes and did the same.

******'******

The inside of Jack's mind, or at least the part of it that Alex found herself in, was not what she'd expected.

"I know this place," she said in a surprised tone. "How do I know this place?"

The landscape was an impressive though ominous looking arena. The sky was an unnatural mix of dark red and purple.

"Wait," Alex said as recognition finally dawned. "This is the final level of _**Immortal Slayer**_!" She paused and called out to the sky. "Jack! This is not a video game!"

She received no response.

"Okay...okay...how did this level go?" she asked herself. "There was a princess to rescue."

Looking around, Alex saw a raised platform at the far end of the arena.

"Yes, she should be there."

Running toward the platform, Alex saw that it was not a princess in chains atop it...but Jack himself.

"Alex," he called out. "Don't come up here!"

"But I'm here to rescue you!"

"If you step on the platform, that causes the final boss to arrive!"

"I know how the game works," she answered. Nonetheless she did stay in place for the moment. "Can you free yourself?"

He strained against the chains binding him. "It's no good! I'm not strong enough!"

"Jack, we're inside your mind," Alex explained. "You can be as strong as you want to be."

"I've tried," he answered back. "I'm still trying! But Molach...it's so hard. I'm exhausted."

Alex could see his anguished expression. "You've been fighting him for so long." Her tone was was equal parts sympathy and admiration. "Well, relax for the moment."

With a thought, the wizard levitated herself from the ground to the top of the platform. "It's my turn to take a shot at him."

Then, with a thunderous explosion, the inhuman from of Molach materialized in the center of the arena.

******'******

Milton was not happy.

He was doing his best to meditate, but his mind was far from focused or serene.

The young man had always enjoyed the martial arts, but the more metaphysical aspects of it were not his strength. Oh, he knew from first hand experience that the supernatural existed, but still he was more far more comfortable in the realms of science and reason.

Focusing _chi_ to help him break a board with his hand was one thing...he could do that.

This however...whatever Alex was doing. It was beyond him.

He felt useless.

Yet even if he was useless, he wouldn't abandon his friends. He might not be able to help Jack, but he would stand there to the end, whatever happened.

He tired again to meditate, but focus still eluded him.

At a loss, he turned to the one, simple thing he'd learned the very first day he'd stepped into the dojo.

The Wasabi Code.

"I swear by the light of the dragon's eye," he said softly. "To be loyal and honest and never say die. I swear by the light of the-"

He paused when he felt a hand take hold of his. He looked to see that it was Kim. Her eyes were still closed in meditation, but not only had she taken his hand, she had begun speaking as well.

"We swear by the dragon's eye," she said. "To be loyal and honest and never say die. We swear..."

She kept repeating the mantra even as Jerry took Milton's other hand. At the same moment, Rudy took hold of Kim's free hand and reached out to Harper as well.

Soon all five were linked together, and all chanting the code.

"We swear by the light of the dragon's eye, to be loyal and honest and never say die."

The amount of _chi_ in the room increased a thousandfold.

******'******

In the arena, Molach appeared as a hulking, muscular demon. A terrifying sight with green skin, horns and fangs.

So it was understandable that he was annoyed when Alex didn't show even the slightest bit of fear.

What the monster didn't know was that Alex was currently distracted by the almost unbelievable rush of power she was feeling. She didn't know why, but suddenly her link to her magic felt much stronger.

Thus as Molach roared and charged towards her, her only reaction was to smirk and think about how perfect the timing was.

Then she let loose with magical bolt of pure destructive force.

"ARRGHH!" the creature screamed as he was sent flying to the other side of the arena.

Alex than cracked her knuckles before calmly jumping off the platform and began walking towards Molach.

"This is going to be fun," she said.

******'******

Fun was certainly not the word Molach would have used to describe the battle that followed. Alex had gone nearly a month without being able to use magic and she was now more than happy to take out her frustrations on a deserving target.

Yet, even after she'd battered Molach into near helplessness and immobilized him inside a cage of mystic energy, the evil one remained defiant. Despite having the upper hand, Alex couldn't remove the beast from Jack's body.

"Release your hold on him," Alex demanded. "Or I'll kick your ugly carcass across this arena...again!"

"Fool!" he spat back at her. "You can't save him no matter how strong you are! I've been here too long!"

While Alex knew that Molach was a natural liar, these words seemed unfortunately true. Jack still remained chained atop the platform after all.

Turning away from the defeated demon, Alex returned to Jack's side and tried to encourage him.

"Listen to me, I've overpowered Molach but you have to be the one who defeats him. Come on, I've softened him up for you."

"Alex...I...can't." Despair filled his eyes. "I'm so...weak."

"Jack, you have to. You can do it. The fact that you lasted this long with him inside you shows how strong you are!"

"No...strength...left."

Alex felt her heart go out to the young man. How much torture had he endured already? Yet he was the only one who could save himself now. She tried to think of some way to encourage him further.

The answer she came up with was not to her liking.

 _I hate to do this to you_ , she thought. _Hopefully you'll forgive me later._

With a simple thought she cast a spell of illusion...one that only Jack's eyes would see. Another simple spell changed the sound of her voice as well.

"Jack," she said softly. "I've been looking all over for you!"

The young man looked up and saw a beautiful brown-eyed blonde.

"Kim!"

"Yes, it's me," Alex lied. At the same time she mentally dissolved the energy cage holding Molach. The creature didn't know why he'd regained his freedom, but he immediately began charging towards the young wizard.

Jack cried out a warning. "Kim! Behind you!"

Alex turned and feigned terror before trying to run, only to deliberately trip and fall at just the right moment. She did her best to look helpless as Molach loomed over her.

It took some effort for her not to smile when she heard the sounds of chains breaking behind her.

Molach was too focused on vengeance to notice anything but his intended target. He sent a fist flying down towards Alex. In response she formed an invisible shield around her body to block the blow.

It was an unnecessary precaution.

For Molach's fist was caught in mid-air by Jack's hand. He tightened his fingers around the fist and squeezed with phenomenal strength...causing the demon to wince in pain.

Then Jack spoke six words. Six words he'd said many times before. Six words that countless bullies and thugs in Seaford had learned to fear.

Yet for all the times he'd said them, never before had he uttered these six words with such cold and murderous menace in his tone.

"You...probably...shouldn't have done that!"

 _ **To be continued...**_

 _ **author's notes:** Things are looking up for our heroes, but the story isn't over. Are you enjoying it so far? Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review. _


	10. Chapter 10

Alex Russo had seen many things in her young life. Things that many people would find hard, if not impossible, to believe.

As a result, she was not easily impressed.

Then again, 'impressed' was not the most accurate description of what she was feeling at the moment.

'Awed' might have been the more appropriate word.

Her plan had worked. She'd motivated Jack to push past all his mental and spiritual exhaustion. He'd found a new reserve of strength to battle Molach.

Well, more 'punish' than battle.

The thing was, though this conflict was inside Jack's mind, he was no wizard. Thus the fight took a form that the young man understood...appearing to be a physical battle. Punches and kicks instead of spells and energy bolts.

What struck Alex though as she watched it all, was the realization that everything she saw Jack doing...all the strikes and attacks...these were not images conjured from his imagination.

These were all things he could actually do...in the physical world.

 _He's unbelievable_ , she thought.

Indeed, the way that Jack was demolishing Molach did stagger the imagination. An ancient evil spirit that had preyed on humanity for eons...who had watched civilizations rise and fall...was being pummeled by a teenager.

The creature, despite being unable to defend against Jack's rage-fueled attacks still attempted to roar defiance. Not that it was easy, since Jack's fists and feet were smashing into Molach's face repeatedly.

As Alex observed the one-sided and much deserved beating, she couldn't help but think about various things she'd heard about Jack and his friends over the past month.

 _Kim has fought this guy to a draw in sparring matches?_ she thought. _And Rudy beat him easily in a tournament? Geez, I've joined a dojo with three freaking superheroes!  
_

As enjoyable as it was to watch Molach get his just desserts at Jack's hands, Alex did realize she needed to be more than a mere spectator. Her original plan had been to pull Molach out of Jack's body and then imprison him in some harmless object. However once the demon was removed from Jack, it might be able to jump into another nearby body, or perhaps even manifest physically. If it did so, it could distract or disrupt the meditation of the other Wasabi Warriors...which would rob Alex of her magic and leave her unable to do anything to Molach.

So defeating the creature outside of Jack's body was no longer an option. Molach needed to be dealt with here and now. It was no longer a matter of imprisonment. The beast had to be destroyed.

Alex steadied herself and began concentrating.  
 _  
_******'****** _  
_

If there was one thing that Jack had been taught over the years, it was to keep his anger in check.

It was a testament to his character that he was able to do so, even now.

Oh, the rage he was feeling was far beyond anything he'd ever felt before. Far beyond what he'd ever imagined he could feel.

Yet he remained focused. His anger didn't control him, he controlled it. He focused it...and let it out with each and every strike against the monster that had tortured him.

Despite that, it was not vengeance driving him...though he desired vengeance. Nor was it justice, though he wished for that as well.

There was something else he wished for even more however. His greatest desire, despite all the pain he'd been subjected to, was not to hurt...but to protect.

To protect Kim.

So while rage was fueling his attacks, it was love that was driving them.

As a result, every blow he struck shook Molach to the monster's very core.

The beast was incapable of putting up even a token show of resistance as Jack drew back his fist for one final attack.

Alex could sense the moment was right.

Jack punched straight into the center of the monster's chest, ripping through the beast's hide as if it were tissue paper. His fist closed around the dark, black lump that served as Molach's heart and ripped it from his body.

Alex let loose with beam of blinding white light that enveloped Jacks hand even as he crushed the heart into powder.

The body of the beast dissolved into nothingness as a pitiful hissing wail sounded before fading into silence.

"Is ir over?" Jack asked as Alex came to his side.

"It is," she replied with a relieved smile. "You were awesome."

He was weary as he turned to her, but managed a smile of his own. "You're not Kim."

Alex gasped, forgetting she hadn't removed her illusionary disguise. "No, sorry." Her from shifted to her true appearance. "How did you know?"

"You screamed and ran when Molach came after you. Kim would have attacked." He paused. "Still, seeing him threatening Kim...even when I knew it wasn't her...it was what I needed. It was enough."

"I wouldn't have done it if I could have thought of something else," Alex explained.

"You've got nothing to apologize for." He took hold of her hands. "I owe you."

"Hey, I couldn't have done it without you...or your friends." She paused. "So, you ready to go back to the real world?"

"I can't wait to get back there."

******'******

It happened at almost the same moment, Alex and Jack's still bodies started to move again just as all the others in the room opened their eyes and ceased their chanting.

"Jack?" Kim asked hopefully as she looked toward him. He didn't have time to reply, for she could tell it was truly him just by looking at his eyes. "JACK!" she cried out as she ran forward and embraced him.

Alex found herself in a hug as well an instant later as Harper grabbed her from behind.

"Is Molach-" the redhead started to ask.

"He's history," Alex announced. "Everything's fine."

The rest of the group surrounded them, relief on their faces and grateful sentiments on their lips.

There were only two slight shadows on the happy mood. First, was the moment when Jack took a long look at the swollen black eye on Kim's face. He pulled back from her then, feeling heartsick at the thought that his hand had been the instrument that had caused such damage.

The next moment was when Alex called everyone to attention.

"Guys, you were amazing," she said. "But I need some more help. Can you meditate and gather your _chi_ again?"

"Is something wrong?" Rudy asked.

"Nothing for you to worry about. You're all safe here," she explained. "I just need some magic for a few seconds more. I need to transport myself to the Wizard World and check on things."

"Can I come with you?" Harper asked.

Alex's answer came swiftly. "No." She paused and looked almost apologetic. "I can't bring you there unless I know it's safe first."

"Alex, if there's some trouble-" Jack began.

"We'll go with you," Kim finished. "If we can."

"Whatever you need," Rudy added.

The young wizard appreciated the offer, but she ready to tell them she had to go alone. Before she could get any words out however, an odd feeling of dizziness overtook her. She would have fallen over if Harper hadn't caught her.

"What's wrong?" the redhead asked in alarm.

The moment of disorientation passed quickly. Alex's eyes widened in understanding.

"The magic lockdown is over!" She said. "I just felt it lift."

Quickly she made her wand appear in her hand. She attempted a simple spell of communication to reach out to her brother...only to feel a sudden unexpected headache.

"Oh no!" she sputtered angrily. "Are you kidding me? NOW?!"

"What is it, Alex?" Harper asked.

"The magic is back," the brunette explained. "But I can't use it!"

Kim spoke up. "Why not?"

Alex's expression was flustered and angry. "I have a magic hangover! This hasn't happened since I was a kid! This can't happen now!"

The others, even Harper, looked at her in confusion. She calmed down enough to provide a further explanation.

"When wizards in training use too much power too quickly, they can get a magic hangover. They can't use anymore spells until they get few hours sleep. That never happens once a wizard comes into their full power though!" She paused, still fuming with anger. "The strain of pulling magic from your _chi_...and using so much of it to destroy Molach...it's left me helpless...AGAIN!"

"But only for a little while, right?" Harper replied.

"Yes...but what if Justin needs help right now?"

Before anyone else could respond, Alex's cellphone began ringing.

"Dad?" she said as she answered, having recognized the ringtone.

"Alex, the lockdown is over! Is Molach-"

"I took care of him already," she interrupted. "But what about Justin? What happened?"

Her father's tone became noticeably lighter as he answered. Now that he'd heard Molach was dealt with, a great deal of worry had vanished. "Justin is fine. The fighting's over."

More questions and explanations followed. The evil wizards had been rounded up to the last man. Justin and Juliet were being hailed as heroes, along with Felix and his Monster Hunters. There had been casualties of course, but thankfully few.

In turn, Alex detailed how Molach had been destroyed.

"I am so proud of you, sweetheart," Jerry Russo finally said. "And don't worry about your magic. A good night's sleep and everything will be back to normal."

After that, Alex's father asked her to put him on speaker phone so he could speak to Harper as well. After repeating how relieved he was that both girls were safe, he bid them goodbye.

******'******

Roughly twenty minutes had passed since Molach's destruction and the end of the magic lockdown. Everyone was still in the dojo, trying to recover from all the drama of the evening.

Jack had taken the opportunity to shower and change into some clean clothes, but he was still uncomfortable as he sat with his friends. A fact that was not lost on Kim.

"Stop that," the young blonde said after Jack had avoided eye contact with her yet again.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "It's just that..." His words trailed off as he looked at her black eye once more.

"You did not do this," she said forcefully. "It's not your fault."

"It was my hand," he countered.

Kim repeated that Jack was not responsible. The rest of the group voiced their agreement.

Rudy moved to sit next to his star student. Jack was the only one present who had not heard the tragic story of the sensei's late sister, so Rudy gave his an abbreviated recounting of the tale.

"God...Rudy," Jack said after hearing the details. "I had no idea."

"It's okay," the older man replied. "I told you so you'll understand that if you were in any way responsible for attacking Kim, I would not stand for it." He paused. "But you aren't. You're blameless in this. You understand me?"

"Molach is the one who hit Kim," Alex chimed in. "And you saw to it that he'll never hurt her or anyone else again."

"You had something to do with that," he responded.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Let's not argue over credit again. This was a group effort."

"So stop feeling guilty," Kim said as she put her arms around Jack. He remained tense for a second but then relaxed in the embrace.

"That's more like it," the blonde said before kissing Jack's cheek.

"Get a room already," Jerry joked.

Milton clucked his tongue, adding to the levity.

"You two shut up," Kim warned, though she smiled as she did so.

"Now come on guys," Alex said. "We just defeated an ancient evil. Let's get some pizza."

"Sounds good," an unexpected voice sounded. "Room for one more?"

Alex turned in surprise to see...her boyfriend.

"MASON?!"

Alex ran to the handsome young Englishman as everyone else looked on in total confusion, save Harper who was only partially confused.

"How did you get here?" Alex asked after a brief but passionate kiss.

"I had just stopped by your parents' and got the news about the crisis being over. Your father let me use the I.P.P. to teleport here to see you."

"I.P.P.?" Milton asked.

"It's a magic device that even non-wizards can use," Harper offered. "The Inter-Wizard People Porter." She shrugged before adding, "Don't look at me. I didn't name it."

Alex and Harper then took time to make proper introductions between Mason and their new friends. Once that was taken care of, they all made ready to head out and get some food. As they were leaving however, Rudy's office phone rang.

"I'll see who that is," the sensei said. "You guys go on and I'll catch up in a minute."

They rest of the group headed out. Harper walked next to Alex, who was arm in arm with Mason. As a result, she overheard a brief bit of conversation between the lovebirds.

"I've been going out of my mind not being able to see you," Mason confessed to the beautiful wizard.

"Aw, I've missed you too," Alex replied. "Oh, but don't get too excitable tonight, okay? I can't use any magic right now...so you have to stay on your best behavior."

"No problem, Luv."

Harper slowed her pace then. For despite Mason's words, suddenly all the redhead could think about was a potentially serious problem.

******'******

Rudy only needed a few minutes to take care of the phone call. It was merely Joan, the mall security officer asking about reports of loud noises that had been coming from the dojo earlier. As Joan was a longtime friend of both Rudy and his students, he was able to smooth things over with minimal difficulty. However, after the call ended and he made his exit, he was surprised to find Harper waiting for him.

"What are you doing here by yourself?" he asked.

"I told the others I'd come back so you didn't have walk to the restaurant alone."

"You didn't have to do that," Rudy replied.

"That's what I told them," she explained in a slightly troubled tone. "The truth is, I wanted to talk to you alone."

He studied her expression. "Is something wrong?"

Harper hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe. It's...complicated."

Rudy turned back towards his dojo and invited the young woman inside.

 _ **To be continued...**_

 _ **author's note:** What's this? A complication? Oh no! Please review. _


End file.
